The Chair of Peter

Friday was the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, which commemorates the teaching authority of St. Peter and his successors. At this moment in the history of the Church, when in a few more days that chair will be empty until a new Pope is elected, it is a good time to stop, reflect on the papacy and join together as a Church to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the selection of the next Pope.
Until the Emperor Constantine gave the Church freedom to exist, almost all of papal reigns ended in martyrdom. In the centuries that ensued and the papacy became embroiled in politics and temporal power, there were fewer saints and more "sinners" sitting on the chair of Peter. Just from this prospect alone, the survival of the Church, its on-going renewal and re-invigoration, are evidence that the words of Jesus, "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" were not just an empty promise. We have been blessed in the past century to have had again a host of "good popes, saints and blesseds already noted among them. As always, the "spots and wrinkles" of the Church continue to be uncovered, reminding us that indeed it is composed of men in need of the saving power of Jesus. These wrinkles have been far worse in the past, but nevertheless, the need for conversion remains a priority. It is at this advantageous moment, in the early days of Lent, a time for renewal, that this opportunity is now available to the Church...to us. A moment of choice, a moment of growth, a moment of hope. A moment to remember that Peter, the choice of Jesus himself to be the ROCK upon which he would build his Church, denied him three times! We trust that his successor will also be the choice Jesus would make.
Bro. Rene